Developers have had a change of heart on their original plans to build a big block of apartments in St Julian’s village core, on the site of a house believed to be among the oldest in the locality, this time filing fresh plans to develop a complex of villas with pools.
The original plans for a large mixed-use residential and retail development on a vacant plot of land in one of the narrowest streets in St Julian’s were shot down by the Planning Authority.
TUM Invest Ltd, through architect Karl Ebejer, has now filed fresh plans, ditching the original apartment and retail complex and instead proposing a complex of 10 semi-detached villas with pools.
The site lies between two streets, St Elias Street and Birkirkara Hill, and falls within the St Julian’s urban conservation area.
Culture watchdog objected to demolition
In 2019, TUM Invest applied to demolish an existing building and excavate a vacant plot to build two basement parking levels, an office and a shop and a complex of 62 residential units on three levels and another three receded floors.
That application included the construction of a pedestrian road between the two streets.
The Superintendence of Cultural Heritage objected to the demolition of the building, believed to be the oldest in the locality, as well as to the proposed height of the complex, saying that it would be in “disharmony” with the streetscape.
The Planning Authority rejected the application in July 2020, partially because of its height and because it ran counter to policies meant to protect and enhance the character of traditional urban areas.
The Environment and Planning Review Tribunal had then annulled the decision on appeal in September last year, sending the application back to the PA and ordering the drawing up of a new case officer’s report and new plans that include the retention of the façade of the old building.
Instead, the developers went back to the drawing board and on Tuesday filed fresh plans proposing the excavation of the vacant plot, part demolition of the old, dilapidated building, construction of two levels of basements and a split level including 10 garages and 11 storage spaces, the construction of nine semi-detached villas over three floors and one receded floor and the construction of one semi-detached villa over two floors, including a total of eight pools.